Cyberpunk-inspired visual novel
Cyberbang 2069 is an interactive role-playing game created by an indie developer team of the same name. In this demo version of a romantic visual novel, you get to try and be cozy with various characters from the highly-anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077. It contains the entire route for Sandayu Oda and demo routes for Goro Takemura, Victor Vektor, and the Keanu Reeves-inspired Johnny Silverhand.
It shares similarities with other visual novel games like Doki Doki Literature Club! or The Letter – Horror Visual Novel. However, Cyberbang 2069 doesn’t have overly dark or mature themes and is rich in Cyberpunk lore.
In the middle of tech and honor
The game heavily draws on the CD Projekt Red Cyberpunk game, presented in a compelling visual novel style. Featured characters get a mix of anime and GTA-like graphics. In Cyberbang 2069, you play as V, which is the alias of the player in Cyberpunk 2077 and may correspond to Valerie or Vincent, depending on your choice, making the game inclusive.
As a demo version, the routes for Goro, Johnny, and Victor remain incomplete. If playing for the heart of Sandayu Oda is any indication, the game then leans heavily toward dialogue that builds a story between you and their character as well as the events in Night City. If you’re looking for more tension and development, this game is not yet geared to meet your demands.
However, despite the various story options not being fully fleshed out, the game makes an excellent case for this version. It manages to create distinct characters with different interaction experiences with the player. Their story ties in with the larger game yet manages to stand alone in this case. It makes the game consistent with the larger Cyberpunk properties while also keeping itself engaging.
A worthy Cyberpunk entry
Cyberbang 2069 is a worthy addition to the larger Cyberpunk universe, especially with Cyberpunk 2077. Its use of existing characters manages to remain consistent with the source material while adding more elements to them. The game achieves this through the in-game dialogue as well as the artworks, showing how the devs put their own spin that ultimately enriches the franchise for a different audience.